Seamless tubular garment

ABSTRACT

This invention relates to a method of knitting on a circular knitting machine and to the resulting tubular article having successive portions along its length with varying numbers of wales according to a pre-selected pattern. The wales are preferably spaced uniformly about the circumference of the tubular article. In the illustrated embodiment, a one-piece panty-hose having sections joined at a juncture during knitting and is formed with more wales in the pant portion than in the adjoining leg portions.

United States Patent 91 Gariboldi [451 June it, 1974 [5 SEAMLESS TUBULARGARMENT [75] Inventor: Franco Gariboldi, Condove, Italy [73] Assignee:G. Billi & C. S.p.A., Firenze, Italy [22] Filed: July 12, 1971 [21]Appl. No.2 161,622

[52] US. Cl 66/172 R, 66/177, 66/189 [51] Int. Cl D041) 9/42 [58] Fieldof Search 66/177, 176, 189, 172 R, 66/171, 183; 2/224 R [56] vReferences Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 398,190 2/1889 Scott 66/189402,202 4/1889 Sutton 66/177 464,118 12/1891 Granz 66/177 1,179,4184/1916 Franck 66/189 2,809,509 10/1957 Reymes-Cole et al..... 66/189 X3,287,937 11/1966 Landau .1 66/171 3,487,473 1/1970 Janhsen 2/224 X3,499,172 3/1970 Milner I 2/224 R 3,673,821 7/1972 Johnson 2/224 R3.685.320 8/1972 Gorini 1. 66/95 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS1,816,958 7/1970 Germany 66/189 354,660 8/1931 Great Britain 66/176832,813 4/1960 Great Britain 66/189 2,034,010 1/1971 Germany 66/172 ROTHER PUBLICATIONS Offermann et al., Knit-To-Shape and F all-FashionedKnitting Procedures, Knitting Times, Vol. 40, No. 15, 4/12/71, PP.47-55,

Primary Examiner-Wm. Carter Reynolds 5 7] ABSTRACT sections joined at'ajuncture during knitting and is formed with more wales in the pantportion than in the adjoining leg portions.

1 Claim, 7 Drawing Figures Fig.1

INVENTUR FRANCO GARIBOLDI ATTORNEY PATENTEDJuM 1 1 1914 Fig.5

I NVENTOR FRANCO GARIBOLDI 95% MW ATTORNEY SEAMLESS TUBULAR GARMENT Thepresent invention relates generally to the art of knitting and moreparticularly to a product formed of a pair of circularly knit seamlesstubular sections of fabric wherein the central portion thereof has morewales therein than are present in its end portions, and to the method ofmaking the same.

In the formation of panty hose or culottes, it is known to form the samefrom a circularly knit tubular seamless fabric section wherein the pantyhose will have a central pants section disposed between a pair ofadjoining foot and leg sections. In such garments the number of wales inthe pants section is usually the same as the number of wales in theadjacent leg sections with the result, even with an enlargement ofstitch size in the pants section, that there is not sufficient fabric inthe pants section, measured coursewise of the fabric from the waist lineto the groin portion of the garment, to provide an adequate amount offabric in the pants section to permit the same to be properlyproportioned for the body of the wearer of the garment.

It is accordingly the principal object of the present invention toprovide a circularly knit seamless tubular fabric for use as a culottewherein the latter will have a larger number of wales in the pantssection thereof than are present in the adjacent leg sections, thelarger number of wales forming an accordingly larger diameter fabric.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide a culotteformed of a pair of circularly knit seamless sections of fabric, theterminal courses of which are knit together on the knitting machine by acourse of stitches knit in continuation of the terminal course of thelast formed fabric section, thereby to join the fabric sectionstogether.

It is a further object of the present invention to form the fabricsections upon a circle of needles the number of which is equal to thenumber of wales in the pants section of the culotte, wherein the firstformed of the fabric sections has a first portion formed upon afractional number of the circle of needles and has a second portionformed upon all of the needles of the circle thereof, and wherein, inone modification, the last formed of the fabric sections is formedthroughout upon the factional number of needles, while in anothermodification, the pair of fabric sections are similarly formed.

With the above and other objects of the invention in view, as will beapparent from the following detailed description of a pair ofembodiments thereof to be read in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, the invention resides in the formation of the novel garmentand in the method of making the same, as set forth in the accompanyingspecification and in the appended claims.

IN THE DRAWINGS:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of a first form of the tubularly knitpanty hose' or culotte of the present invention wherein it is shown instraight line expanded condition.

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic view in elevation of the panty hose of FIG. 1arranged generally in the shape it assumes on the body of the personwearing the same.

FIG. 3 is a view generally similar to FIG. 1 showing a second form ofthe panty hose or culotte of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a portion of a circular hosiery knittingmachine of the type having a transfer dial and which is used in theformation of the product shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a view, generally similar to FIG. 2, of the product shown inFIG. 3, and

FIGS. 6 and 7 are diagrammatic views of the cylinder portion of knittingmachines illustrating alternative methods of tensioning the fabric ofthe products of the present invention as the latter are being knitted.

The panty hose or culotte of thepresent invention. shown in FIGS. 1and'2, is preferably made upon a cir cular hosiery knitting machinehaving a slotted needle cylinder of larger than usual diameter andcontaining a larger than usual number of latch needles which areconventionally movable in the cylinder slots. While the usual number ofneedles presently used in conventional hosiery machines is approximately400, it is preferred that double this number of needles be used, that isto say, 800 needles, and the latter are preferably arranged in a needlecylinder, the diameter of which ranges from 7 /2 to 8 -inches,'dependingupon the desired fineness or gauge of the finished product.

The knitting of each leg section of the panty hose is started at the toeend of each foot portion thereof and each toe itself may be of the typewhich isautomatically closed upon the machine making the same, or it maybe of the open type'which is later cut and sewn closed. In the presentinstance, by way of example, an open toe structure is shownanddescribed. The machine used for the open toe construction need not beequipped with a transfer dial.

Indicated at.1 is the toe portion of the foot of the first formedsection of the panty hose, the remainder of the foot and leg beingindicated at 3. The portions 1 and 3 are tubular (as is the entireculotte), and are made upon a first group of 400 of the 800 needles inthe machine, the remaining second group of 400 needles being retained attheir low non-yarn taking inactive welt level during the time thatknitting of portions 1 and 3 takes place upon the first group ofneedles. The needles of the first group thereof alternate in thecylinder with those of the second group. j

The knitting of toe portion'l commences with the formation of aconventionally formed starting selvage on the bare needles of the firstgroup thereof, that is, alternate ones only of the first needle grouptake the yarn in the first revolution or at a first feed of the machineand then all the needles of this group take the yarn in the secondrevolution or at the next following feed of the machine. Circularknitting then continues upon the first group of needles of the machineto make the tubular portions 1 and 3, with a relatively tight stitchbeing made in portion 1 and a generally progressively larger'stitchbeing made in portion 3 to shape the latter by gradually increasing thediameter of the tube as knitting proceeds toward the thigh portion ofthe leg section. The fact that portions 1 and 3 are made upon alternateneedles, which are spaced by the intervening inactive needles, does notvisibly alter the appearance of the fabric particularly when the latteris formed of texturized yarns.

Upon completion of thefoot and leg portion 3 to line 4 and at thecommencement of tubular section 5, which may be designated as the pantssection or body portion of the .culotte, the second group of 400previously inactive needles are then placed into operation and knittingof section 5 proceeds. The needles of the second group may be placed inoperation all at once, in groups or in any other desired sequence withthe result that the full complement of 800 needles is used to formsection 5. The result of this is that the course-wise stretch and thediameter of section 5 is substantially increased over the stretch andthediameter of the similar portion of culottes of the prior art (made on400 needles), so that the distance between belt or waist line7 and groinportion Set the present culotte is substantially increased and is adistinct improvement over the similar smaller measurement of the priorart culottes. During the formation of section 5, or afterwards, acentrally disposed walewise extending slot may be formed therein at 7 asby cutting the fabric, the slot being disposed at the waist line openingof the finished garment.

Upon the end of the knitting of body portion 5 to complete the firstsection, alternate ones of the needles are placed in their low inactivenon-yam taking welt position with the stitches of the last course ofknitting retained thereon. Then knitting takes place upon theintervening ones of the needles to make a run-resist fabric tab 13 of anumber of knit courses which may have run-resist tuck stitchesincorporated therein, after which the fabric tab is cast off from theintervening needles to leave the same bare.

The-400 intervening bare needles (which alternate with the 400 inactiveneedles retaining the last course of stitches thereon), are now operatedto form toe portion 9 and foot and portion 1 1 of the second section ina manner similar to the formation of the previously formed portions 1and 3 of the first section. This having been .done, the inactive 400needles are activated and knitting of courses of another runresistfabric tab proceeds upon all 800 needles of the machine after which allof the needles are cleared and the culotte is cast off from the needlesof the machine.

It may be noted that the stitches of portions 1, 3 and 5 are drawn .toone face of the fabric of the culotte while the stitches of portions 9and 11 are drawn to the 1 opposite face thereof. Also, that tabs 13'and15 extend from .opposite faces of the tube. It is the knitting of thefirst course of the tab 15 upon all 800 of the needles which joinstogether the sections 5 and 11 while they are still on the machine.While the tabs 13 and 15 are shown as being relatively large in thedrawings, actually they curl up, are relatively small to begin with, andare unobjectionable in the finished garment. The toe portions 1 and 9may be cut and sewn along dotted lines 2 and 10' to shape the same.

Coming now to the second form. of culotte shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, thesame is made upon a circular knitting machine of the type having atransfer dial as shown in FIG. 4 wherein 27 indicates the dial, 25 thetransfer jacks in the dial, and 31 the latch needles in the cylinder.The first leg of this culotte is knit upon a first group of 400alternate'needles, (with a second group of 400 intervening needlesinactive at welt level), which forms portions 17 and 19 thereof up tocourse line 21 in a manner similar to the formation of portions 1 and 3of the first form of culotte shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. At

course line 21 the second group of intervening needles is activated andall 800 needles knit first half portion 23- of the pants section of thisculotte in a manner similar to the manner of knitting the correspondingportion of pants section 5.

The stitches of the last course of portion 23 are on the 800 of theneedles 31 and the fabric of portions 17, 19 and 23 comprising a firstsection of the panty hose is supported thereby. This fabric is to betransferred to and supported by the transfer jacks and to this end thebights of yarn of a transfer course of knitting extending betweenalternate needles (with the intervening needles at welt level not takingthe yarn of this transfer course) are placed upon extended (and thenwithdrawn) transfer jacks 25, as seen at 24, in conventional manner.Then a run-resist fabric tab 29, generally similar in construction totabs 13, 15, is made upon all 800 needles of the machine afterwhich theneedles are cleared to cast off the tab 29 from the machine, leaving theneedles bare and the fabric portions 17, 19 and 23' supported by thebights of yarn 24 on the transfer jacks as in FIG. 4. The needles of themachine are now used to make the second toe, foot, leg and half-pantsportions 33, 35 and-37 of a second section in a manner similar to themanner in which the corresponding first section comprising portions 17,19 and 23 were made.

The fabric of portions 17, 19 and 23 is supported by the bights of yarn24 on transfer jacks 25 while the fabric of portions 33, 35 and 37 issupported by stitches 38 of the last course of half-pants section 37 onneedles 31. The transfer jacks 25 and needles 31 are then cooperativelyoperated in conventional manner to place bights of yarn 24 upon theintervening ones of the needles afterwhich a knit course upon all of theneedles joins the two half-pants sections 23 and 37 together. A runresist tab 39, similar in construction to the other tabs, is knit uponall the needles and then the needles are cleared to cast off the productfrom the needles of the machine. The tabs 29 and 39 extend from oppositesides of the fabric tube.

It may be noted that the juncture between the half sections 23 and 37extends from the waist line to the groin portion in the central plane ofthe culotte. Half sections 23 and 37 with tabs 29- and 39 make up thebody portion. Course 21 of half section 23 and the equivalent course of.half section 37 are each knit to a course at a respective one of theopposite ends of leg portions 19, 17 and 35, 33. Also, in both forms ofthe culotte, the stitches in the second formed of the leg While theculottes have been described as being made upon 800 needles in acylinder of prescribed larger diameter, it is within the presentinvention to make the culottes upon a lesser number of needles in acylinder of correspondingly smaller diameter. The culottes may be made,for example, upon 600 needles of which the leg sections would be made,as described, upon a group of 400 needles with the additional group of200 needles being introduced when the central pants sections are made.The needles of the additional group .of 200 would be arranged as everythird needle in the circle of 600 needles. Alternatively, the needles ofthe additional group of 200 could be arranged as every other needle in adesired one-half or in other arcs of the circle of 600 needles.

When no arrangement is made for separation of the half sections of thegarments during the knitting thereof, one would be inside the other asappears in FIG. 4 for the sections 23 and 37. It is desirable that thesections be separated during the knitting and, as shown in FIG. 6, aone-section of the culotte of FIGS. 1 and 2 containing the portions 1, 3and 5 may be drawn downwardly inside the needle cylinder by appropriatesuction, and then the other section of this culotte containing theportions 9 and 11 may be drawn upwardly by an appropriate change in thesuction through an intake duct 43 extending centrally upwardly throughand from an appropriate dial 44. The magnitude of suction within theduct 43 is insufficient to draw the portions 1, 3 and 5 into the duct43, it being understood that the portions 9 and 11 which are drawn intothe duct 43 by suction tend to throttle duct 43 with a consequent reduction in the negative pressure applied to the entrance to duct 43.With the larger diameter cylinder there is sufficient room in a largerthan usual dial 44 for the pneumatic tube 43. Once knitting is finished,the culotte may be expelled either downwardly through the cylinder orupwardly through tube 43, depending upon where the suction is active.

Another arrangement, for open toe culottes, is shown in FIG. 7 wherein atube 46 is arranged concentrically insidethe upper portion of the needlecylinder to provide an annular intake gap 45 between tube and cylinderand a cylindrical intake gap 47 inside the tube itself. Thefirst-section of the garment would be sucked downwardly through theouter annular gap 45 and then, with an appropriate change inthe suction.the second section of the garment would be sucked downwardly through thetube 46. When the fabric is cleared from the needles, the garment may beexpelled from the machine either through the opening 45 or 47 dependingupon which of these openings has the suction operating therein, a choicewhich may be determined by whether or not the knitted tube is to beturned inside out.

What I claim is:

l. A tubular knit one-piece panty hose having leg portions and a bodyportion therebetween knit to opposite ends of the leg portions, the legportions of said panty hose each having a first given number of walestherein and the body portion having a second and a higher number ofwales throughout the extent of the body portion with the increase in thenumber of wales being substantially uniformly spaced about thecircumference of the body portion, said panty hose including first andsecond sections joined together at a juncture between the opposite endsof the leg portions, said first section comprising one of said legportions and at least part of said body portion and said first sectionincluding a at said juncture course in said body portion, and saidsecond section comprising the remainder of the panty hose and includinga non-ravel tab having a free end and comprising a plurality of courseswith a single course of the tab concatenating with the said course ofsaid first section at said juncture.

1. A tubular knit one-piece panty hose having leg portions and a bodyportion therebetween knit to opposite ends of the leg portions, the legportions of said panty hose each having a first given number of walestherein and the body portion having a second and a higher number ofwales throughout the extent of the body portion with the increase in thenumber of wales being substantially uniformly spaced about thecircumference of the body portion, said panty hose including first andsecond sections joined together at a juncture between the opposite endsof the leg portions, said first section comprising one of said legportions and at least part of said body portion and said first sectionincluding a at said juncture course in said body portion, and saidsecond section comprising the remainder of the panty hose and includinga non-ravel tab having a free end and comprising a plurality of courseswith a single course of the tab concatenating with the said course ofsaid first section at said juncture.